AROUND THE WORLD.

Government changes mind on UN offer

HARARE, ZIMBABWE — Zimbabwe has backtracked on its refusal to allow the United Nations to help build emergency housing for people whose homes were demolished in a government eviction campaign.

UN officials in Harare said Thursday that Housing Minister Ignatius Chombo accepted the assistance in a letter earlier this week. Building is expected to start next week on the first 10 of a proposed 2,500 units.

The government had refused UN offers to provide temporary shelters for families made homeless by a campaign of evictions in May and June, saying it wanted permanent structures.

The UN estimated at least 700,000 people lost their homes in Operation Murambatsvina, or Drive Out the Filth.